Abstract

Laws of many nations require consideration of certain kinds of value of sexually explicit material in determinations of whether it is legally actionable. In-depth interviews were conducted with 41 Singaporeans aged 21 to 30, with a balance of heterosexual men and women, gay men and lesbians, to seek their views on the types of value they perceived for themselves and their communities in sexually explicit material. Respondents perceived the types of value legally recognized in Singapore and other nations’ laws to varying degrees. Though not intended to be representative of public opinion, the findings suggest that consideration of the value of sexually explicit material is warranted in ongoing policy debates about its regulation, and that sexually explicit material may contribute to individual self-realization, particularly for members of sexual minorities.